Turning vane and conduit structure



April 12, 1955 w TURNING VANE AND CONDUIT STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 24, 1950f I {F .f if

X dm A TTORNEYS United States Patent TURNING VANE AND CONDUIT STRUCTUREJack W. Kice, Wichita, Kans., assignor to The Coleman Company, Inc.,Wichita, Kans., a corporation of Kansas Application November 24, 1950,Serial No. 197,304

3 Claims. (Cl. 13839) This invention relates to a turning vane andconduit structure. The invention is particularly useful in connectionwith conduits having bends therein through which fluids are turned atrather sharp angles.

In conduits or casing structures having bends which cause the stream ofair or other fluid to be turned at rather sharp angles, turning vanesare secured within the bend portion so as to prevent the air, etc. frompacking at the bend and to cause it to flow evenly with a minimum ofloss of velocity into the passage lying in the new direction. Suchvaries are fabricated upon frame members and involve substantial expensewhile at the same time the parts work loose and there are vibratingnoises which occur as a result of the high air or fluid velocities.

I have discovered that by the use of a new design, a single plate can bemade to provide the vanes while at the same time requiring a minimum ofbending and weakening of the vanes. I have further discovered that bysupporting the plate in a diagonal or angular position at the bend ofthe casing, the vanes can be turned a relatively short distance and withrelatively little twistingto provide downwardly and forwardly curvedsurfaces wh ch are effective in directing the fluid around the bend witha minimum of friction.

An object of the invention is to provide a single plate structureequipped with integral vanes effective for the above described purposes.A further object is to provide in combination with a casing having abend therein providing angularly related communicating passages, a platestructure supported within the casing adjacent the bend and providingintegral vanes which are held rigidly against vibration for evenlyguiding the current of air about the bend. A still further object is toprovide within a casing having a bend therein providing angularlyrelated passages, a plate equipped with flanges for anchoring the platein a diagonal position substantially centered with respect to the bendwhile affording integral turning vanes. A still further object is toprovide a plate equipped with integral turning vanes having flanges forsupporting the plate within a bent passage while providing integraltapering strips or gussets at the point of twisting of the vanes wherebya sturdy support at the point of twisting is provided for the vanes.Other specific ob ects and advantages will appear as the specificationproceeds.

The invention is shown in an illustrative embodiment by the accompanyingdrawing, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a turning vaneplate embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical sectional view showingthe turning vane plate in position within a conduit; and Fig. 3, adeveloped view or top plan view of a die-cut plate from which the vaneshave not yet been drawn and the flanges have not yet been turned.

In the illustration given, designates a casing which is bent or turnedat 11 so as to provide a vertically extending passage 12 and a forwardlyextending passage 13. In the illustration given, the forwardly extendingpassage 13 terminates to provide an outlet. It will be understood thatthe present invention is applicable to any casing having a bend thereinproviding thus angularly related and communicating passages. Theinvention is particularly useful in an air mixer device of the charactershown in my co-pending application, Serial No. 760,572, filed July 12,1947, and now abandoned.

In one phase of my invention, I die-cut a plate 14, as shown moreclearly in Fig. 3. The lower metal segment, as indicated by the numeral15, may be entirely removed to form a passage 15a, as illustrated inFig. 2. The upper Patented Apr. 12, 1955 segments 16 are preferablyslitted only along a U-shaped line which leaves a flared neck portion 17connecting each portion 16 to the plate, as illustrated in Fig. 3.Thereafter each of the flared segments 16 is bent rearwardly in a curvedmanner to form the vanes 18 as illustrated best in Figs. 1 and 2. Thebending of the vanes rearwardly thus leaves flow spaces 19 between thevanes.

In the specific illustration given, the marginal top portion of theplate 14 is bent forwardly to form an attachment flange 20 and themarginal bottom portion of the plate is similarly bent forward to form aflange 21. The flanges 20 and 21 may be secured to the casing 10 by spotwelding as indicated at 22 in Fig. 2. The body of plate 14 may be thussupported at an oblique or diagonal position and substantially in thecentral portion of the bend 11. By thus supporting the plate 14 in theinclined position shown at the bend, it is unnecessary to turn the vanes18 to any great extent and a relatively slight twist ing of the vanes issufficient to bring the vanes to the rearwardly and downwardly curvedpositions shown, in which they are effective for guiding the air streamsaround the bend.

Operation In the operation of the structure shown, the plate 14 may beformed as shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. The blank plate isdie-cut to eliminate the strip 15 and thus provide space 15a. Theremaining segments 16 thereabove are rounded at their corners and areprovided with flaring gusset or neck portions connecting them to theplate, thus reinforcing the vanes at their point of connection with theplate and where the vanes are twisted. The vanes are curved and turnedto the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The stream of air arising vertically through passage 14 strikes thevanes 18 and is passed in a plurality of guiding current portionsforwardly into the passage 13. If the passage 13 is employed as adischarge passage, the air streams will be deflected forwardly from thedischarge opening. By inclining the plate 14 within bend 11, the vanes18 are turned a minimum of distance while at the same time reachingdownwardly so as to divide the rising stream and direct it smoothly in aforward direction toward the passage 13. The inexpensive structure thusprovided is also effective by reason of its integral construction ineliminating vibration noises and providing a sturdy unitary turning vanestructure.

While I have shown the flanges 20 and 21 turned in a forward direction,it will be understood that these may be turned in different directionswhile still providing the inclined plate 14 carrying the integral vanes.The finished plate structure is readily secured in position within thebend portion of the casing by spot welding or other suitable means.

The sides 24 of the plate 14 are preferably turned down at about tostilfen the plate and also reduce the area of interference with air-flowat the edges.

While in the foregoing specification I have shown a single structure inconsiderable detail for the purpose of illustrating one embodiment ofthe invention, it will be understood that the details of structurethereof may be varied widely by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A turning vane structure adapted for mounting in the bend of a flowconduit, comprising a plate having laterally turned marginal edgesadapted to extend along the walls of a flow conduit, said plate having aplurality of parallel, generally U-shaped slits extending thereacrosswith the legs of each U-shaped slit terminating adjacent said marginaledges, said slits providing tongues therebetween extending substantiallyfrom one marginal edge of the plate to the other, said tongues beingcurved laterally to provide a plurality of turning vanes integral withsaid plate, and said turning vanes being spaced apart and havingunobstructed flow passages throughout the entire areas therebetween,whereby said plate throughout substantially its entire area provides abank of turning vanes with unobstructed flow passages completely fillingthe spaces therebetween.

2. In an air flow structure, a casing having a bend therein providingangularly-related communicating passages, and a turning vane platesecured to said casing and extending in an inclined plane across saidbend within said casing, said plate having laterally turned marginaledges extending along the walls of said casing, said plate having aplurality of parallel, generally U-shaped slits extending thereacrosswith the legs of each U-shaped slit terminating adjacent said marginaledges, said slits providing tongues therebetween extending substantiallyfrom one marginal edge of the plate to the other, said tongues beingcurved laterally to provide a plurality of turning vanes integral withsaid plate for directing the flow of air through said casing from oneangularly-related passage to the other, said turning vanes being spacedapart and said plate providing in the entire areas between the vanesunobstructed flow passages, whereby said plate provides throughoutsubstantially its entire area alternate turning vanes and unobstructedflow passages with the result that minimum obstruction to the free flowof air through said angularly-related passages is afiorded.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which said laterally curved tongues andlaterally turned marginal edges extend in the same general direction,and in which said plate is equipped at its top and bottom with angularlyextending flanges adapted to secure the plate within said casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 26,438Lathrop Dec. 13, 1859 1,996,596 Smith Apr. 2, 1935 2,096,272 Young Oct.19, 1937 2,115,720 Holmes May 3, 1938 2,134,649 Will et a1 Oct. 25, 19382,381,345 Greenlaw Aug. 7, 1945 2,383,639 Ferguson Aug. 28, 19452,509,016 Peterson May 23, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 819,028 France Oct. 8,1937

